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<p>The UK is a critical friend of Saudi Arabia and our strong relationship means we
are able to raise difficult issues more effectively. We have led the call for unhindered
humanitarian and commercial access into Yemen, including through the UK-coordinated
Security Council Statement of 15 March, the Secretary of State’s visit to Riyadh in
December and lobbying from the Prime Minister. Most recently, during the Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to London in early March, Saudi Arabia reaffirmed
its commitment to work together with the UK to strengthen the UN’s mechanism for inspecting
ships so that all Yemeni ports can remain fully open to commercial and humanitarian
supplies. During this visit, we also agreed with the Saudi Fund for Development that
we would contribute £50 million each to support development in East Africa – the ‘£100
million humanitarian aid deal’ referred to in the question.</p><p>The UK has been
clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and we have continuously
lobbied all sides to urgently de-escalate the fighting and find a comprehensive political
solution. We also regularly press, including at senior levels, the need for the Saudi-led
Coalition to conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into reports of alleged
violations of International Humanitarian Law.</p>
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